a world of café stories

Aloha Bar, Rotterdam

By KENNY MAH and CK LIM

How many cafés do you know are located in a swimming pool?

While not exactly floating on water, Rotterdam’s Aloha Bar is set up in an abandoned water theme park. The former Tropicana water park was one of the derelict, post-80s buildings that stayed vacant till it was converted into a specialty coffee hub. From a water fun landmark into a caffeine landmark; all it takes is a bit of creativity and vision.

The space still retains much of its former “glamour”, if one could call it that: from shiny tiles to large black parasols giving shade to white deckchairs. Hanging plants add an element of green that recalls its prior incarnation: a make-believe tropical paradise.

Inside the café, beans are freshly roasted on a Giesen roaster. Espresso-based beverages are made using a Mirage Duette Classic machine by world-renowned Kees van der Westen. Stencilled walls and mix-and-match chairs in rainbow colours add to the eclectic décor.

Ask your barista to recommend a brew and a preferred technique of brewing, such as Aeropress. Then sit back on the terrace, relax and imagine it’s an eternal summer while sipping on a cuppa that’s perfectly lovely and perfectly unusual – after all, how often can you claim to drink coffee made from beans roasted inside a former water park?